Vital Records

In the archives/records world we refer to birth and death records as vital records. Today is a day to celebrate births and remember the lives of those who have gone. B is celebrating a birthday today. Happy Birthday B! I'm very happy that you were born and are in my life. We also remember the life of Coretta Scott King. We celebrate the contribution she has made to civil rights in this country.

Medication Mayhem

On February 1st I posted that my mom had been diagnosed with diverticulitis and was exposed to the flu while she was a patient at the hospital. I also noted that she had been prescribed a seven day course of tamiflu as a prophylactic thing. I was happy to know that the hospital was at least trying to prevent my mother from getting influenza. I was annoyed when I found out that her insurance company would not pay for the $97.00 prescription when she was released on Tuesday. She is currently arguing with her insurance company to get her money back. She is also planning on contacting the hospital to complain about the fact that they put her at risk by allowing her to be exposed to the flu. I think the hospital should pay for the medication. Everyone is at risk for nosocomial infections when they go into a hospital, but I also feel that the hospital should be held accountable.

Expect the Unexpected

I was thinking over the weekend about what I wanted to write in this blog. Since January 28th marked the 20th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster I thought I would write about my reaction to this tragedy. I was in the 7th grade, Ms. Foran's english class, when they rolled a tv into the room to watch what had happened. Like a gazillion other Americans I watched with horror and sadness. I also thought I might write about the Run For Research Patient Match party I went to at Jordan's Furniture in Reading on Sunday. I had a nice time. I met one of my matches (Kerri) and some other runners. We had breakfast, chatted, took pictures, and watched Polar Express in 3D. The last idea I had was to write about my new love for Su Doku. Unfortunately something else came up that trumped all these topics.

Saturday morning my mom called to tell me that she had been in the emergency room all night. She said that she had been up for hours with pain in her abdomen. She was in the emergency room for 13 hours before they finally told her that she most likely had diverticulitis. This was a relief for all of us who were fearful that her cancer had come back. Mom was admitted to the hospital, started on antibiotics, and was put on a liquid diet. I spent a few hours at the hospital on Saturday. Sunday I went to visit for a couple of hours. She had a roomate at this point. The roomate supposedly had pneumonia. On Monday mom called to ask if I had had a flu shot. I explained that I had. Her roomate had just been diagnosed with the flu and was being moved to her own room. My mom had been prescribed tamiflu at this point. Crap...I had been exposed. The medication I take for my liver disease suppresses my immune system and makes me more susceptible to illness etc. Hence why I get a flu shot and try to stay away from sick folks. Mom asked her nurse and told her that I probably shouldn't visit. I called my hepatologist. She said I should be ok since I had had a flu shot and such a short exposure. My mother was released from the hospital yesterday and I am feeling flu free at this point. However this is one of those situations where I am reminded of the limitations my disease puts on me. Argh! I just spoke with my mother who said that she is feeling better.